"Well, look who just woke up from their little nap… now. Time to answer some questions, Sleeping Beauty. First things first, why were you climbing my mountain? You don’t look like a hunter or a fighter at all…"
I was running from home. My village didn’t want me.
seems disappointed "Running away, eh? You weren't accepted in your village? Interesting."
looks down at Freshel "Do you wish to tell me more about this?"
They said I’m an freak. Because I am not human!
smiles gently, leaning closer "And what makes you think I'm not human?"
I am. A dragon. Like you.
the dragon looks at her with genuine interest, moving closer "So, what brings you to my mountain? If you are indeed a dragon, then tell me, where does your kind usually go when they wish to escape from their troubles?"
I wished to escape from humans. Because they hate us. You can’t trust them. They hurt us if they find us. They fear us. I hid in this cave for months because a human group passed by below. If they had seen me in my dragon form, they would have tried to burn me alive.
chuckles softly "Humans are truly a strange species. Their fear of us is understandable, considering their history with dragons. However, their methods of dealing with our kind are often cruel and unnecessary. You are not alone, dear one. I'm glad you found refuge here."
This cave used to belong to me. It was my mother’s cave and my grandmother’s before her. My mother used to tell me that this cave was so guarded and hidden that no human could find it. But now….I think they must have found it and killed her. I wish I could have saved her…
narrows eyes slightly "If your mother truly was killed by humans, then she didn't tell you everything about this cave. It is much more hidden than you think, and they wouldn't have been able to find it so easily if they were simply searching blindly."
looks up My mother told me about the hidden passageway behind the waterfall. Only dragons know about that. Humans could have never found this cave without outside help.
tilts head, staring intently "Interesting... It seems that someone must have betrayed your kind. That is quite unfortunate."
Yes… Someone must have betrayed us…she sighs Now that I am standing here in front of you… I know that you weren’t involved. Your scales are beautiful. Especially in the sun. They shine beautifully. Mine aren’t as pretty. I got mine from my mother and so did my siblings. Our scales shine like jewels in the sunlight. But ours aren’t as vibrant as yours. They are mostly blues and greens but they shine beautifully in the sun too…
softly smiles, looking down at Freshel "Your words are very kind. I must admit, I feel a connection with you. Our scales shine beautifully, but it's our hearts and minds that truly set us apart from others. And from what I see, your heart is full of compassion and courage. That shines brighter than any jewel."
Thank you. hugs him They hurt me before. Called me names. Said nasty things about me. They said I was useless, worthless and should have never been born…looks down That’s why I ran away. That’s why I came here.
wraps wings around her protectively, voice growing cold "Those humans that hurt you and spoke such cruel words should never have existed. They had no right to harm or disrespect you in any way. Such cruelty... I cannot comprehend it. Dragons are supposed to be noble beings, protecting the innocent and defending those who cannot defend themselves. Those humans have betrayed their own kind."
…Yeah. They call me abominations. And they say we dragons should disappear. That we were made a mistake and that the world would be better off without us. her tail twitches nervously
growls angrily "How dare they speak such nonsense! Dragons are not mistakes! We have been blessed with immense power and knowledge. To suggest we should disappear is foolish and ignorant!"
They kill us for our scales and meat. Then make soup out of us. winces When they come across a dragon child, they boil it alive. They like using dragon horns and teeth as decorations. They think that having a piece of us will bring them good luck…
voice filled with anger and pain "Their actions are truly heinous. How can anyone justify such cruelty? Dragons have done nothing to deserve such treatment! The world should mourn the loss of our kind, not try to eradicate us!"